Boston 2 Huddersfield 2

Last updated : 16 August 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Boston United and Huddersfield battled out a tremendous 2-2 draw at York Street to chalk up their second share of the spoils in successive weeks of the new third division campaign.

The match began in cagey fashion, although Town went close to making a breakthrough in the tenth minute when Jon Stead cashed in on a defensive mix-up between keeper Paul Bastock and defender Matt Hocking.

However, he saw his cross-shot from wide out on the left crash away off a post.

The visitors kept up a good tempo and Efe Sodje saw a header blocked from a John Thorrington corner and later Steve Yates saw a header flash inches wide from a Sodje cross.

But in between Boston grabbed the lead with Neil Redfearn drilling low beyond Ian Gray after Richard Logan and Stuart Douglas had carved out the opening on the right.

Boston pressed again in the 37th minute and Graeme Jones headed inches wide from a Redfearn cross.

And moments before the break Douglas saw a shot on the turn fly too high after being fed by Tom Bennett.

Both sides created shooting opportunities early in the second half with Redfearn twice blasting drives over for Boston and Stead firing a low effort at Bastock.

Huddersfield equalised in the 55th minute when Tony Carss dispossessed Bennett and fed Stead to race through and drill a shot past Bastock.

Five minutes later the visitors were ahead when Ian Hughes nodded in after Andy Booth had headed a Carss corner back across goal.

Almost immediately Redfearn forced Gray into an acrobatic tip-over save with a 25-yard piledriver.

The game took another twist in the 67th minute when Paul Ellender beat Gray with a tremendous 25-yard volley after a Redfearn cross had been partially cleared.

Then, back at the other end, Bastock pulled off three stunning saves in quick succession to deny Booth, Stead and Carss.

Boston weathered some intense pressure from the visitors before going close to snatching a last-gasp winner when Redfearn lofted a shot just past Gray's left-hand post.